Anthropology Department, Colorado College

Anthropology Department, Colorado College

ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT, COLORADO COLLEGE

SENIOR CAPSTONE GUIDELINES

Revised December 2015

Introduction
The Senior Capstonein Anthropology provides student majors with the opportunity to conduct their own independent research project or compose a synthesis of important research within the field of anthropology. Projects will typically take the form of an academic paper; students with adequate preparation may also propose alternatives such as an ethnographic film, museum exhibit, or applied project (each accompanied by a shorter paper). The Capstone program allows students to apply and demonstrate their training at the culmination of their undergraduate study, and also offers a counterpoint to the atomization of one-block-at-at-time by asking students to ponder a question longer, and to rethink and revise their first efforts. Options for capstone directions are as varied as four-field anthropology and CC’s departmental orientation: we encourage hard work, intellectual rigor, creativity and discovery.

Seniors must all follow the same departmental deadlines for proposals and drafts, but their time investment in capstone can take longer- or shorter-duration forms, and you can tailor yours to your needs, interests, and priorities.

Shorter-duration projects can be an anthropological paper you execute wholly in block 4’s required AN315, titled the Senior Seminar in Anthropology. A considerable portion of this course will be devoted to support capstone writing.

Longer-duration projectsinvolve significant work before or after 315, and typically one (and up to two) independent research blocks (AN400 Research in Anthropology). A capstone advisor’s support is required for an additional AN400 block/s; there are no a priori GPA qualifications, but the professor will take previous performance into account in deciding whether to support. You might opt for the longer process if you 1) desire and are prepared for a more in-depth and substantive experience; 2) wish to use summer or pre-block 4 time for field or other research, and/or take an AN400 block; 3) require IRB approval for earlier research; and 4) wish to apply for departmental funding in support of your endeavor.

Advising:The professor teaching 315 in any given year will serve as a capstone project advisor; in cases where another faculty member brings considerable expertise or prior involvement to a particular project, that person may be also serve as an advisor (who is primary versus secondary advisor can be worked out by the student, case by case).

Some general guidelines for capstone writing can be found in the Chicago Manual of Style, and Kate L. Turabian'sA Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, which can be obtained in Tutt Libraryor in the College Bookstore.

Important Dates

  • Junior Year
  • First Monday, Block 8:Proposal due as a digital fileto the academic administrative assistant in Barnes 302 by noon.
  • Funding requests and IRB submission should happen at this time as well.
  • Shorter-term projects to be carried out in AHN315 block 4 can satisfy the spring deadline with a shorter statement of intent; longer-term projects require full proposals at this time.
  • Second Monday, Block 8:
  • Acknowledgement of proposals and notification of approval for funding, or request for revisions will be sent to all rising seniors who have submitted a proposal
  • Senior Year
  • First Friday, Block 6
  • Complete first draft due at noon
  • Second Monday, Block 7
  • Final copy due at noon to both your advisor and a digital file to the academic administrative assistant in Barnes 302

Please note that individual faculty members may require additional draft deadlines or an accelerated schedule. These should be discussed with your advisor before submitting your proposal.

Proposal
Majors pursuing the Senior Capstone should work with a faculty member(s) to develop a proposal that demonstrates:

a)A clear research question, problem, proposition or hypothesis, and a thesis argument that responds to it.

b)Evidence of adequate preparation in the form of coursework (including field or lab) and bibliographic research.

c)A detailed work plan and timeline.

d)A detailed estimated budget, if funding will be requested.

e)Affirmation that IRB proposals have been submitted, or dates that it will be prior to beginning research with human subjects.

Your proposal should meet the following guidelines for review:

  • Introduction
  • Short statement on the research problem.
  • Brief statement on previous literature.
  • Theoretical approaches that will be used in the proposal.
  • Proposed methodological approaches for the investigation.
  • Overall significance of the research problem.
  • Describe your research question or research objective
  • The research question, or objective should be narrowly focused and ask “why,” “how,” or “what” about an issue of significance to anthropology.
  • Do not present a vast research topic as the object of investigation; instead, develop answerable questions in the context of the larger research topic.
  • How does your research build on existing scholarship in anthropology and related disciplines?
  • It is important to clearly demonstrate that you have a good knowledge of the anthropological literature, as well as other disciplinary literature, relevant to your topic of research.
  • Be explicit in showing how your research will expand on previous findings.
  • Provide a clear and comprehensive discussion of the issues and demonstrate how your work fits into current theoretical and methodological debates in the field.
  • Research design
  • What evidence will you need to collect to answer your research question? How will you go about collecting and analyzing this evidence?
  • You will need to clearly demonstrate that the evidence gathered and the analytical procedures proposed will realistically support the research goals expressed in your research question.
  • A timeline for the Senior Capstone should be submitted.
  • A feasible research plan with clearly defined procedures is much better than one so broad that it seems impossible to accomplish within the limits of the time available.
  • What contribution does your project make to anthropological theory and to the discipline?
  • A successful application is one that emphasizes the contribution of the proposed research not only to the specific area of research being addressed but also to the broader field of anthropology.
  • Be explicit about the potential contribution of your research to anthropological knowledge, theory and method in the broadest possible sense.

Proposals will be reviewed and approved by the department as a whole. The department reserves the right to offer suggestions, to request a revised proposal, or to reject proposals that do not meet the high standards of aSenior Capstone. In some cases, the department may recommend a second reader.

The proposal is due by noon on the first Monday of block 8 of your junior year. Please submit your proposal digitally to the academic administrative assistant in Barnes 302.

Blocks for Academic Credit

With prior planning with and approval from a supervising advisor for the block, students may register for AN400: Research in Anthropology for one or, in special cases, two blocks of independent capstone work. AN400 is also used for independent studies and non-Senior Capstone work. Studentscreate their own subtitle for the course that is specific to the type of research they are performing. This subtitle will appear on official transcripts; use the chance to highlight aspects other than your final title (such as “Data Gathering on…” etc.). The title of the senior capstone will appear on official transcripts under AN450, whether or not the student chooses to take an independent study block. AN450 is NOT a course that is taken for credit or for which students register, it is simply the categorization given to Senior Capstone Work in order for the Registrar to monitor the requirement for the major and include the title of it on official transcripts.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval

IRB approval is required for all research involving living human subjects. This means that if you intend to do interviews or other ethnographic investigation involving interpersonal contact, you must describe your research procedures and the measures you will take to ensure the safety and privacy of the people with whom you speak. Plan ahead to meet the IRB's deadline for approval before you begin your research. The application form and additional information can be obtained at the following link: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/irb/#top

Components of a Senior Capstone
At the minimum, a Senior Capstone must include the following sections:

Title Page
Abstract
Honor Pledge
Table of Contents
References Cited

We recommend the following sections and format, although section headings may change and subsections may be added as appropriate to the capstone topic.

Title Page (separate page)
Abstract (separate page)
Honor Pledge (separate page)
Table of Contents (separate page)
Table of Figures, Table of Graphs, etc.
Acknowledgements (separate page)
Introduction
Literature Review
Research Design or Methodology
Results
Discussion
Conclusion
Endnotes
References Cited (separate section)
Appendices (separate section)

Page Limitations
Capstones are limited to 35 pages of running text, not including title pages, references cited, and appendices. They should resemble tight, publishable journal articles, which are informed by and are conversant with the relevant literature.Page allotment extensions can occasionally be negotiated with an advisor.

Style Guide
The best general guide to the writing of papers in anthropology is the style used in the journals which are concurrent with the standards in your area of research. In general, the department recommends the style used by Current Anthropology, which can be found at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/dms/ucp/journals/generaldocs/CA_style_guide.pdf

Pagination
Preliminary pages: Includes title page, table of contents, lists of tables, graphs, and illustrations, and preface. Use small Roman numbers (i, ii, iii, etc.). Title page is pagei, but the number does not appear.
Text: Use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc...) at top center or top right. Every page to be numbered consecutively, including tables, graphs, illustrations, references cited, etc.

Title Page
Although the title page is your first preliminary page, no number appears on the page. The text for the title page should be the same font and size as that which you use in the rest of your paper. All title page text should be centered except the lines for “Approved” and “Date,” which should be aligned left. You should follow the condensed format provided below.

Title

______

A SENIOR CAPSTONE PROJECT

Presented to

The Department of Anthropology

The Colorado College

______

By

Author’s Name

Year

Approved: ______

Date: ______

Abstract
The abstract immediately follows the title page, but is not paginated. It should be a concise (250 word maximum) summary of your argument, single spaced. No citations should be included in your abstract.

Honor Pledge
Following the abstract, the Colorado College Honor Code must be typed out and signed by the author.
On my honor, I have neither given, nor received, any unauthorized aid on this project. Honor Code Upheld.

Endnotes and Footnotes

Consult your advisor on the type of notes you should use in your capstone. Footnotes must be placed at the bottom of the typed page on which the footnoted materials appear. Endnotes are placed at the end of the paper, and are not included in the page count. Please keep notes to a minimum. Use of notes is appropriate when a content note or a notice of permission granted may be called for. This makes the manuscript easier to read and verify. Only use notes when it is absolutely necessary to include the information, but would interrupt the flow of thought if introduced into the text.

InText Citations
In-text citations include the author’s name, date of publication, and page numbers when providing a direct quotation. Intext citations are given in parentheses within the running text or at the end of block quotations, and keyed to a list of References Cited which is listed at the end of the paper.

References Cited
This is NOT a bibliography. It should be single spaced for each entry and double-spaced between entries. Entries are listed alphabetically by author’s last name, and chronologically when there is more than one work by the same author. In general, the department recommends the style used by Current Anthropology, which can be found at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/dms/ucp/journals/generaldocs/CA_style_guide.pdf

Graphics, Figures, Illustrations, and Tables
All figures, photos, illustrations, and maps should be labeled as “Figure (number)” with consecutive numbering. Tables should similarly be numbered consecutively, but should be labeled as “Table (number)” with their numbers progressing separately from the figure numbers. Each figure or table must be referenced at least once within the text of the capstone. The figure or table should be placed immediately following the paragraph in which it is first referenced or in an appendix. A caption must be provided in the same font type and size as the main text for each figure and table. If a figure or table has been taken from someone else’s work, it must be cited in the caption, with a full citation in the References Cited Section.

Margins, Line Spacing, and Fonts
Your Senior Capstone should be printed with a 12 point font. Text must be doubled spaced. Indent first line of paragraphs 1 tab stop (½ inch). Footnotes must be single spaced. Long, quoted passages five or more lines should be single spaced and indented one tab stop (½ inch); do not use quotation marks for block quotes.

The left margin must be 11/2 inches (to allow for binding); the right, top and bottom margins must be one inch. Do not include pagination in the inch margin nothing should be within this inch margin. A ragged right margin is preferable to a right justified margin.

Submission Process
A complete draft of your paper is due on Friday at 12:00 noon the first week of Block 6. The final copy is due Monday at 12:00 noon the second week of Block 7. It is your responsibility to anticipate and avoid delays. Any Senior Capstone received after the specified due date may result in an “Incomplete” and a delay of graduation.
The final copy of your Senior Capstone is to be submitted to your Senior Capstone advisor(s) and a digital copy sent to the Anthropology Department academic administrative assistant. A digital file must also be submitted to the Tutt Library via If you want a personal copy, submit a hardcopy to the Tutt Library with $10 as per the Tutt Library website If others who have helped during research, (e.g., faculty advisor/s, informants, other libraries, government agencies, etc...,) have requested a copy of your Senior Capstone Project, it is your responsibility to supply such copies.

Advisors will request a clean electronic copy of the final version by noon of the second Monday of Block 7. This award is presented at Honors Convocation during Block 8.

Funding Opportunities
There are three principal sources of funding for student research. The first and most important is the Venture Fund, which is administered by the Dean's Advisory Committee. It is a competitive campus-wide award that supports travel and expenses. Because available funds diminish late in the year, students hoping to secure funding should submit a Venture Fund proposal well in advance of the projected research. The application form is available at the department website or in the department office. Students are encouraged to request letters of support for their application well in advance of the deadline each block.

The second source of funding is the department’s Kathleen A. Jones Memorial Fund, established by the family of a 1980 graduate of the Anthropology Department.Students must apply for a Venture Grant first before they are eligible to apply for funding from the Kathleen A. Jones Memorial Fund. It is specifically for the support of majors engaged in research for the Senior Capstone or faculty-supervised projects. Most years faculty set a maximum cap on the amount a student can receive. All research funds are contingent upon department approval of a research proposal.

The third source of funding is the President’s Special Projects Fund awarding between $100 and $500 to students one time during their four years at CC to “accomplish an academic project that will add to their liberal arts education experience at Colorado College.”

Regardless of funding source, the department will require you to write and sign a thank-you note to the donors or the honorees of the fund, which should also provide an informative explanation of your research interests. You must save all receipts and make a careful accounting of your expenditures to the department.

The Courtney Cusick Memorial Prize
The Courtney Cusick Memorial Prize was created in 2003 in memory of anthropology major Courtney Cusick, who died tragically in an automobile accident in January 2002, in the middle of her senior year. An avid and accomplishednaturalist even before entering college, Cusick left her friends, fellow students, and professors impressed with her hunger for knowledge and dedication to serious academic study. The award recognizes an outstanding Senior Capstone which clearly demonstrates strong argumentation, a sound inter-weaving of theory, method and data, meticulous research of primary sources, and a commitment to using multiple lines of evidence.

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